The following story is taken from pages 337-338 of Sir E. A. Wallis Budge's One Hundred and Ten Miracles of Our Lady Mary: Translated From Ethiopic Manuscripts (London: Humphrey Milford, Publisher to the Oxford University Press, 1933). According to Sir Budge's Introduction, this comes from the oldest of the British Museum's portion of Britain's National Library of Ethiopic Manuscripts and was written in the fifteenth century A.D. (pg. xxvii).

[337]

It is related that there was a certain monastery the monks of which were in the habit of going to a church of our Lady MARY at each of her festivals, and celebrating there a great festival. And when they were journeying thither to keep the festival in that church, there went with them a certain noble lady who was exceedingly rich, and who belonged to a great family. And she feared God and loved our Lady MARY, and she loved the monks and men of good works. And as she travelled with them on the road she fed them and maintained them until they arrived at that church which was a long way from their monastery. And because of the great affection which the monks had for that lady they brought her into the church at the time of the prayer of our Lady MARY. And as that woman was standing up with them, she saw the monks bowing to an image of our Lady MARY at the time of prayer. And she saw the head of our Lady MARY bow to them, and saw that their prayer and worship were accepted. And when they finished their prayer that woman saw our Lady MARY come down from the altar, and she stood up before the monks, and addressed to each one of them words of approbation, and she rejoiced in their works. And when that woman saw this, she marvelled exceedingly, and she praised God and gave thanks to our Lady MARY, and she told the monks about everything which she had seen. And when they heard this thing from her

[338]

they rejoiced exceedingly, and multiplied [their] service and praise of our Lady MARY. And when the festival was ended, the monks came back to their monastery praising God. And that woman returned to her town and went into her house, and she told her son and all her household and kinsfolk what she had seen, and she commanded them to show affection to the brethren, the monks, and to obey them, and to give thanks to our Lady MARY, and to serve her, and to love her more dearly than anything else in the world. And all her household and kinsfolk ministered unto the monks, and showed them affection, and they served our Lady MARY, and glorified her, and exalted her, and magnified her. And that woman continued to serve our Lady MARY with all her heart until she died and entered into the kingdom of heaven through the intercession of our Lady MARY, who is compassionate unto all those who serve her.